For most of her young life Annabelle March struggled at school.
Diagnosed as gifted as a child, a brain wired to learn and process faster, she felt pressure to do well academically.
But when she went to high school and could not complete assignments, or was told she was too loud, her mental health plummeted.
"Through no fault of anyone else, but the world we live in, and the world not designed for my brain,” March said.
“It led me to believe that the world would be better off without me and my brain in it."
Last year, the 18-year-old found out why - she was diagnosed with ADHD. This year she was also diagnosed with autism.
“Now I realise that my brain was not broken, it just worked differently," she said.
March is now a Young Neurodiversity Champion, a campaign of 15 neurodiverse students who want to reshape the education system to help people like them succeed.
According to Justine Munro, from the Neurodiversity in Education Coalition, one in five people are neurodiverse, but many do not have access to help or support in childhood.
“There is a point in a young person’s development where they are either understood and get the support they need and understand how their brain works, and that it is an amazing point of difference,” Munro said.
“Then the other side of that is that at a similar place they know they are different, and they are marked as the dumb kid, or the bad kid, and no one knows how to support them, and they end up in jail.”
The Coalition released a report earlier this year calling on the next government to implement specific changes to help neurodiverse learners in school.
It included a multi-year public awareness programme to increase understanding of neurodiversity, action plans at all schools, a one-stop shop overall body and to support high-potential students strive for excellence.
1News asked four of the main political parties what policies are on offer for neurodiverse students in education.
- The Labour Party’s manifesto included improving support for neurodiverse students transitioning from secondary to tertiary education.
- National has no specific policy but said its structured literacy approach would help people with learning challenges.
- Act said it would completely reform the Ministry of Education and strip it back to basics, giving teachers more freedom.
- The Green Party said it wants to ensure all students have an inclusive learning environment.
IHC’s director of advocacy Tania Thomas said the policies may be well intentioned, but do not go far enough.
“When it comes to education, every student has the right to be educated well.
“Teachers need to have the support to do the best job and they need to be resourced, that is not the case.
“The education system is failing people, particularly people with disabilities."
March is now studying to be a primary school teacher, to help other neurodiverse learners realise their full potential.
She said it was a mentor at high school who helped her get the diagnosis she wishes she had as a child.
“All I needed was that one person to be my advocate and change the course of my life.”
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